We all have been told by Newsweek that not only are the polls in Iowa tight, but that Obama has the edge.
From the conception of Obama's Campaign, he has always threw the ball to us. Meaning, that we are the ones that make this campaign. Meaning, if we want, desire, demand change, it is up to us to do so.
Which is why he has strategically built a huge grassroots movement across this country, from the bottom up.
I've seen the emotion Obama generates, especially among the young. His phenomenal rally in NYC's Washington Square Park last Thursday evening was a case in point. So I've been worrying that he'll have hordes of young supporters invade Iowa to get out the vote for him on caucus night.
But word from the ground in Iowa is encouraging. Apparently the campaign is doing the grunt work, organizing networks of local supporters to do that all important job in that most important state.
So, come caucus night, it will be friends and neighbors rallying the troops not orange-stocking capped youngsters from elite precincts far away. All praise to the Deaniacs for their commitment, but netroots swagger didn't play well in the heartland. The attitude was "we are the sculptors and you are the clay"--and folks in Iowa took umbrage at that.
See, he has the "neighborhood", your folks in the "hood", knocking on your door to say, "c'mon to caucus", "it is caucus time".
Another indication is what Donna Brazile said on "This Week with George S.", yesterday. She indicated that Obama has the best groundforce in Iowa. That he and his campaign has "targeted the caucus goes" and have engaged them. Much of this is thanks to his Iowa Director, the same one who got Kerry his win Iowa, 2004. Also, indicated Clinton has to replace her Field Director, and this is an indication of what Obama is doing in Iowa.
Also, Obama has been spending more time in Iowa, which is starting to pay off, with the polling.
So, the national polls are they really reflective of what is going on? No. Not in Iowa.
The Obama Campaign learned a lot from the Dean Campaign. First, we have to give our due to the genious of the Dean Campaign raising monies off the internet. He was the first candidate to show it could be done, successfully. But Obama has expanded that fundraising meme, into record breaking money numbers and donors.
The Obama Campaign has also learned not to bring "untrained and unprofessional" volunteers into a state they know nothing about. This may have been the nail on Dean's coffin. Though he lead in the polls, he did not "move his folk" the way they need to be moved.
Which is why I bring up challenge. The Obama Campaign has challenged us from the first time you donated to getting you out to network, to train for the campaign, to eventually GOTV.
That is why the national poll numbers and the grassroots movement are disconnected, as mentioned here.
And MSNBC has indicated Obama Campaign brought in over 19M, bringing his total to over 80M.
Democrat Barack Obama raised more than $19+ million for the presidential primary elections from July through September, bringing his total for the year to nearly $80 million, his campaign said Monday.
Update [2007-10-1 14:8:43 by icebergslim]:
Third quarter totals:
• Primary dollars raised: at least $19 million
• Overall dollars raised (with general election): at least $20 million
• Number of new donors: over 93,000
Total 2007
• Primary dollars raised: at least $74.9 million
• Total number of donors: 352,000
Update [2007-10-1 14:28:30 by icebergslim]:
To date, the Obama campaign has raised more than $78 million, nearly $75 million of which is slated for the primary election. In addition, more than 350,000 people have donated to Obama since he announced his presidential candidacy